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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Windows 8 release date is only a few weeks away, yet some consumers are still asking if it is worth the upgrade.
Even today Microsoft today released an update for the operating system that it says provides improvements in "performance, power management and battery efficiency, media playback, and compatibility."
So you yourself may be asking whats the difference and is it worth upgrading?

Well, here is a list of five new features in Windows 8 that may help you make up your mind.

Metro UI
The most visual change is clearly the new Metro user interface. Microsoft has scrapped the traditional Windows user interface with the start button we have all become so used to. Instead, Microsoft has taken inspiration from its Windows mobile phones to replicate the Metro user interface in a desktop capacity. While the new interface may seem confusing at first, it really doesn’t take long to adjust to it.

New Task Manager
The Windows task manager is one aspect that hasn’t changed much over the years and has been in need of an upgrade. Windows 8 features a redesigned task manager that simplifies the way in which users manage processes and computer performance. The new task manager is designed to provide users with a simple but effective interface that is specifically optimized to deal with common tasks.

The Lock Screen
The Windows 8 lock screen is similar to that of Windows Phone 7 and is optimized for both desktop computers and tablets. The lock screen consists of a few main components including the background picture, battery and network icons, login screen, and a few choice widgets that you can display on the screen to provide real-time updates relevant to the application. The widgets are customization to only display selective information.

New File System
Windows 8 Server will be introducing a new file system known as ReFS (Resilient File System), which replaces the traditional NTFS file system. The primary focus of ReFS is on the resilience of data; this is achieved in part by making the file system simpler. Basically, ReFS is a more reliable and efficient file system that is less prone to crashing and errors. However, when errors do occur, ReFS is designed to detect and repair issues without causing any file corruption.

ARM Support
Windows has always been based on x86 systems and has not had support for ARM-based devices up until now. A lot of work has gone into optimizing Windows 8 for both x86 and ARM processors. Through its support for ARM-based devices, Windows 8 provides a consistent computing experience across devices including tablets, smartphones, and traditional desktop computers.

So these are the five major differences between Windows 7 and Windows 8. A vast majority of people have consumers have already registered at the Microsoft website for Windows 8, yet some consumers have held off the upgrade either because of pricing,, or the change of the GUI (Start Screen and removal of the Start Menu)